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Medicare had scheduled a 4.4% cut in physician fees for next year. It's an annual ritual. For the last 4 years, cuts have been scheduled but then have turned into small increases after intense lobbying. (Five years ago there really was a decrease.)For a while it looked like the 2006 cut was going to happen, but about a month ago that changed as the Bush Administration signaled its support for a reversal of the scheduled cut. Now it's getting closer to being official. In a 51-50 vote --settled by VP Dick Cheney-- the Senate voted to reduce the Medicare and Medicaid budgets but to freeze physician fees rather than reducing them. The House still has to finalize the move.